CEO Indicted for DDOSing Competitors 521
ruland writes "It turns out there was a reason the hosting company CIT/Foonet was raided in February. SecurityFocus.com reports that the CEO of a web-based satellite T.V. retailer has been indicted for allegedly paying Foonet's administrator to arrange denial of service attacks against his competitors, causing outages as long as two weeks at a time, and $2 million in losses. Now he's skipped out on $750,000 bail, while the five packet monkeys who worked for him are left facing felony charges of their own."
wtf (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:wtf (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:wtf (Score:5, Informative)
ee Walker, known online as "Emp," "Rain," and "sorCe" respectively. Each of the three apparently had sizable "botnets" at their disposal, meaning they could each command thousands of compromised PCs to simultaneously attack a single host -- Walker alone had control of between 5,000 and 10,000 computers through a customized version of the Agobot worm, according to the FBI affidavit.
I would say that these guys had it coming.
Re:wtf (Score:3, Insightful)
If you don't ha
Re:wtf (Score:5, Insightful)
Here's an example of the FBI doing its damn job and doing it well, shutting down a major example of a new type of crime. Maybe we should give the FBI a little fucking credit sometimes, man. I mean, sometimes it's more than Hoover spreading rumors of homosexuality and harassing Black Panthers. Sometimes, they stop ACTUAL crimes, too.
Re:wtf (Score:5, Insightful)
The good examples (which is the majority) of the FBI doing their job should only serve as examples of how they have strayed in other areas. Along with that is the understanding that we are setting higher standards for our federal agencies and should be given respect, resources, and support for meeting them.
Re:wtf (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, arstechnica [arstechnica.com], among others mentions the mis-quote that you are talking about, that there was 40 terabytes available through the hub, and that the "agents were able to download 72GB of copyrighted material that included a variety of movies, music, applications, and games."
Now having terabytes available through a P2P network seems like a reasonable number, as does having only 72GB available on the few machines.
Note that they also don't make any distnction between copyrighted materiels which are distributed legally (as many indie composers, musicians, and other artists allow it) versus those materials that aren't authorized (like the cracked Doom3 versions).
Please actually check your sources, rather than just reciting the over-hyped misquotes.
frob
Re:wtf (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because someone commited an actual crime, you are suggesting Big Brother complaints are unwarranted?
I'm not sure which is the "last article" you referred to. So I can only comment generically.
Are you suggesting that this type of crime would have been impossible to investigate prior to Patriot Act (ect) removing judicial oversight and giving broad discretionary (read: arbitrary) powers to law enforcement. Or did the FBI abuse its power and happen to actually arrest someone by luck.
Or perhaps you are operating under the premise that prosecuting a handful of criminals is all that is necessary to justify the absolute infringment of the rights of all of society?
Here's an example of the FBI doing its damn job and doing it well, shutting down a major example of a new type of crime. Maybe we should give the FBI a little fucking credit sometimes, man. I mean, sometimes it's more than Hoover spreading rumors of homosexuality and harassing Black Panthers. Sometimes, they stop ACTUAL crimes, too.
Did the FBI shutdown an actual crime based on probable cause? Because this is absolutely nothing new to law enforcement. Probable cause has been the traditional standard required for an arrest/warrant or just about anything for years and years.
Or did the FBI shutdown a operation on the basis of a mere possibility. or out of plain malice. This is certainly worth criticism, and just because something turns out to be a crime after the fact does not and can not justify the original intrusion.
At least.. not without hypocracy in a country which purports to be free.
The FBI is not the only law enforcement agency which sometimes stops "actual" crimes. That is no reason to turn the entire country into a police state.
If you could post a link to the "last article" you were concerned about, that would be good.
In any event. before breaking out the champaign, it would be reasonable to wait for a conviction.
For all we know the FBI are yet arresting another innocent person.
Re:wtf (Score:3, Interesting)
Ummm, troll? Don't think so. (Score:5, Insightful)
What kind of moron doesn't think a big DDOS like that is going to be traced? The reason everyone gets away with it with MS and SCO is because everyone hates them, so there are too many suspects...But when its your biggest competitor? You're going down.
And then to skip bail? "Noooooo please don't send me to white collar CEO prison for a week. Waaaaaaah."
This is almost too dumb to make a Dilbert strip.
Re:Goddamn it. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:wtf (Score:3, Insightful)
Packet monkeys, eh? (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, I guess that pretty much describes most NOCs nowadays...
This is too funny! (Score:5, Insightful)
Click on the original story and even THAT makes it seem like they were just innocent people being unfairly picked on by the evil overlords known as the FBI.
If FBI agents showed up at your data center bearing a warrant, would you be able to provide them prompt access to customer data? BZZZZT! I'm sorry, but you've taken too long to answer. We'll be confiscating all the hardware you use, er, used to use, to run your business. But we'll get it back to you 'real soon now.' Thank you for playing.
Now it turns out the people raided were in fact "the bad guys" and the warrent (remember, the FBI HAD a warrent) was legit AND...er...warrented.
It's funny how everything changes when more facts are thrown in...and I'm sure not all the facts are even in yet!
Re:This is too funny! (Score:5, Interesting)
As a general rule of thumb, the FBI and similar organizations don't go around raiding the `good guys'. It does happen sometimes ( one good example [wikipedia.org]), but it's not the general rule. But the thing that tends to be forgotten is that even the `bad guys' have rights, and the FBI (and similar organizations) tends to violate these rights, and that's what people tend to get really upset about. And then there's things that aren't really `rights', but should happen anyways. For example, if they take all your hardware, and don't charge you with a crime, you should get your hardware back QUICKLY and UNDAMAGED. But I digress ...
As for Waco [rotten.com] and Ruby Ridge [rotten.com], the people involved were definately `bad guys', but the government wasn't exactly being `good guys' either.
As for the FBI going after these DDoS monkeys, good for them. It's about time.
Indeed the FBI doesnt do that... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:This is too funny! (Score:3, Informative)
How so? Or are you just repeating what the government tells you because we all know that the government doesn't lie?
And all the children burned alive by the FBI & ATF were 'bad guys' too?
For more info on the raid go here [whatreallyhappened.com]. I warn you that some of the pictures are not for the faint of heart.
You mean like Steve Jackson Games? (Score:5, Interesting)
Or maybe you might remember Ruby Ridge or Waco. Or maybe you might remember some of the excesses since 9/11. Was this a good bust or bad one? It looks more like a good one. Don't automatically think that they are the evil jackbooted minions of the evil overlord [eviloverlord.com]. Nor should you automatically presume that they are the good guys.
Re:You mean like Steve Jackson Games? (Score:3, Interesting)
Is publishing a few games and novels on your BBS a big enough crime to warrant the attention of the PERSONAL GUARD of the PRESIDENT OF THE US? Come ON!! This sounds like the sort of thing the FBI should handle... Or even local police with an order from the FBI.
The way some of these people were treated is absolutely abominable, when you consider how benign the crime is. All they really need is the information on the
Re:You mean like Steve Jackson Games? (Score:3, Informative)
Secret Service was part of the Department of the Treasury until they got transfered to Homeland Security.
Re:This is too funny! (Score:3, Interesting)
Tell us how YOU would have approached this situation, knowing now that the suspects WERE doing something bad. How could the FBI have done anything or found evidence that could link them to the crime, without the bad guys erasing everything they had?
I always see people talking about the government overstepping their bounds, yet offer no real solution that can actually catch bad guys red-handed. I mean,
Re:This is too funny! (Score:5, Insightful)
It would have satisfied me, if the FBI were open and forthright with a judge and obtained a proper warrant on reasonable grounds, based on reasonable and credible evidence, and based on reasonable grounds that seizure of all the computers in question was the only means of securing the evidence, and the grounds for believing in that evidence was also reasonable and presently openly and honestly to that judge in addidavit. If the judge came to that conclusion, and ordered the seizure. Then I would be happy if the FBI executed that order to the best of their ability with the minimum possible additional hardship on the parties involved.
I would be happy if the warrant did not leave the FBI with any discretion as to whether or not to seize the material. That should be for a judge to decide. Not a cop. The cops are not trained or expected to be unbiased. I would be happy if it was a judge who ordered such an infringement and not a cop.
Tell us how YOU would have approached this situation, knowing now that the suspects WERE doing something bad. How could the FBI have done anything or found evidence that could link them to the crime, without the bad guys erasing everything they had?
I would have put everything I knew about the situtation into an affidavit, and presented it to a judge. If the judge ordered me to seize the computers, I would have obeyed the order.
What is known post facto is irrelevant to the conduct the police should have used prior to and during the seizure.
Police should be polite. They should respect and obey the law. Especially the constitution, which is the highest law. They should not get personal about the situation, and they should absolutely remember COPS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PUNISHMENT OR MAKING A FINDING OF GUILT.
I always see people talking about the government overstepping their bounds, yet offer no real solution that can actually catch bad guys red-handed. I mean, I kinda agree with you...I don't want the FBI breaking down someones door and taking away everything for no reason or because they "think" illegal activity may be going on. But I look at it from their point of view also, how are they going to catch people that don't play by the rules?
Check it out. lawmakers, are responsible for making sure cops have the necessary legal tools for enforcing the law that the lawmakers make.
Cops only need to follow the law, and use the legal tools lawmakers set up. NOTHING MORE.
Cops are not vigilantees. No one is above the law. Society can not distinguish between cops which break the law for personal gain and cops which break the law because they are trying to do good. Moreover, cops which play by the rules should be rewarded promotions.
Lawmakers must be able to craft good laws.
This is called "seperation of powers" and this is one of the things which keeps a democracy from turning into a tyranny.
Lawmakers don't enforce the law. Lawmakers don't interpret the law. Judges interpret law but do not make law. Cops obey law and enforce law but do not make law or interpret. Lawmakers make law, but do not interpret or judge or enforce.
If we gives cops the authority to unilaterally decide whose rights to violate, without a requirement to answer justify such violation, we are living in dangerous times.
I dont know the facts in the situation, so speculating on whether or not the FBI properly seized the computers is pointless. Since we still have a right to a fair trial (at least on paper), hopefully this can be explored at that time.
People are well justified in getting scared when they see the seperation of powers threatened.
Re:Packet monkeys, eh? (Score:3, Funny)
Microsoft Systems Management Server: 1000 pacxet monkies, 1000 copies Visual C++, 100,000,000 boxes of chocolate Ex-Lax.
Re:Packet monkeys, eh? (Score:3, Insightful)
that tends to imply skill. The monkey reference is negative in it's connotations. So IMHO if you are a Router Jockey I will enjoy working with you, if you are a [field of work] monkey, I'll likely consider the worse of the two alternatives of hanging myself with cat5 from a ladder rack, or bludgeoning you to death with a sufficently massive object (box you just mis-configured, my desk, etc.) or maybe a death of a thousand cuts from bare single mode fibre lashing
Guys, take note of this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:5, Insightful)
It's like the soldier who's ordered to commit war crimes. What do you do? It's in no way you're fault - but you're in a lose - lose situation.
The best thing to do is refuse, and if you lose your job... there could be worse things. But still, it sucks.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Regardless, CYA is still the best advice to follow if you're ever put into this situation. (Homelessness somehow seems a lot better than two to five years, even with time off for good behavior.) And your nearest FBI agency is indeed the right call to make -- they take this very, very seriously. If you do, though, be completely honest and thorough from the start. They will not be kind to you if they discover a lie halfway through their investigation.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course the difference between being fired, and quiting is very different. Quiting can give you a recommendation.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
if its a large company and they fire you, you are up for a rather large settlement in a whistle-blower/wrongfull termination lawsuit...
nothing to loose there.
a small company may would likely dissapear and would be more likely to leave you screwed...
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't bet on it. There are a lot of prisoners who, as soon as they get out, commit a crime with the intention of getting back into prison. At least in prison, they have food and shelter.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
Imagine that, report that something bad is happening and people want to kill you for being honest and responsible.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
And the media picks up your story mid-lawsuit, gaining you a big award. Which gets drastically reduced on appeal. And, now every HR rat in the country knows that you're "the snitch" -- you'll never work in a decent job again.
Real win-win.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Interesting)
She wound up getting another job not too long after, and we didn't have to go into something weird like witness protection or some such. But it was a little freaky, and it's probably the reason why I wou
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
Among the other mistakes Martin cites are that people don't collect enough evidence of the problem they're trying to expose, don't build support among colleagues and others, and don't wait for the right opportunity to come forward. "My advice to most people i
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Or do you want to agree with one of the main Nazi defence points in Nuremberg? They claimed this too, you know, that they shouldn't be held accountable for any of their actions because they were ordered to do so. Should Nazi soldiers not be held to account for torturing and murdering millions of Jews and other 'undesireables' simply because they were following orders? How about atrocities in the civil wars all over Africa?
If a commanding officer tells a soldier to rape women, torture innocent children, etc, then is that soldier is completely innocent of any crime, simply because he was ordered to do so?? I should hope you don't think that. Warfare is supposed to be calculated violence, not a series of uncontrolled bestial impulses.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Interesting)
I really don't know what the military procedure is on illegal orders. In totalitarian regimes, disobeying an illegal / immoral order probably means dea
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:4, Interesting)
The statement said it supported U.S. President George W. Bush in his reelection campaign, and would prefer him to win in November rather than the Democratic candidate John Kerry, as it was not possible to find a leader "more foolish than you (Bush), who deals with matters by force rather than with wisdom."
In comments addressed to Bush, the group said:
"Kerry will kill our nation while it sleeps because he and the Democrats have the cunning to embellish blasphemy and present it to the Arab and Muslim nation as civilisation."
"Because of this we desire you (Bush) to be elected."
You mean like Abu Ghraib? (Score:4, Insightful)
It's like the soldier who's ordered to commit war crimes. What do you do? It's in no way you're fault - but you're in a lose - lose situation.
Yes, it sucks, but ultimately you AND your superiors are responsible. It is better to be punished for doing the right thing than to do the wrong thing and be rewarded. Cowardice and fear are no excuse for committing injustices or allowing them to be committed.
Oh, and regarding your sig: al Qaeda endorsed Bush [foxnews.com].
Re:You mean like Abu Ghraib? (Score:3, Insightful)
No, because with War-Crimes the punishment for doing the right thing is an immediately administered bullet through the temple.
Its really not much of a choice.
It certainly is for me. If I were given the choice between death and raping an innocent girl/woman, I would proudly choose death. Some things are worse than death, and it would be a far better thing to die proudly than live shamefully. The fear of dying is a justification for some things, but not all things.
But in daily life, much more frequentl
Whatever. (Score:5, Insightful)
9/11 was planned by Bin Laden, and his grudge with us dates back to the '70s. Probably somethign to do with the fact that we used him against the soviets and then left him in a bombed out wasteland of a country.
They don't forgive and forget, but despite that we just romp around fucking with things, and pretend like the only consequences are the immediate ones. We're going to be paying for Bush's ego and Bush's oil cronies for decades to come.
Re:Whatever. (Score:3, Informative)
In Bin Laden's OWN WORDS he specifically states he wants the USA out of Saudi Arabia. He got really really pissed when the Saudi government said "thanks, but no thanks" to his offer to bring the armies that fought in Afganistan over to kick Iraq out of Kuwait. This is WELL after the time frame of Soviet pull out of Afganistan.
That got just about everybody in the Western world on his shit-list, along with certain aspects of his own country.
This makes the Bush administration's idea that Iraq was
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
The 'packet monkeys' started out this venture by DDoSing for free web hosting and/or shell accounts. Doesn't sound like a lot of concern for their diet or housing was involved. Even if that were the case, they'll get comfortable housing and 3 squares a day courtesy of the taxpayers if/when they get the slam.
They became 'employees' after the guy who has skipped town bought the so-call hosting company.
Your's is the same kind of uninformed blathering that directed sympathy toward that 'hosting company
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
If you steal only one car, should you still be tried for Grand Theft Auto? IF THE LAW IS ADMINISTERED FAIRLY, yes, you deserve to be locked up. If the state keeps letting the guy who owned that chop shop where you delivered the car slip away, or giving him a slap on the wrist compared to what they
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:5, Funny)
Put it on Paper (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:5, Informative)
Oh, and the company she worked for is now the target of a class action lawsuit for commiting the act she quit over. This, plus the results of her unemployment hearing, are making it very easy to recover her 401k money she was forced to cash out to have something to live on.
Moral of both these stories, don't do it. And if you stick to your guns and do what's right, you will be okay in the end.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Insightful)
What if she couldn't hold out for the year? Say she was homeless after the first two months. Where would they send the unemployment check ten months later, and would she still be in any emotional/psychological state to be able to receive and cash it?
Your friend got a fair deal. Not everyone does.
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:3, Interesting)
There was a recreated interogation of a young german officer who had received orders to shoot the escapers in the back of the head during a pee break (orders which came from Hitler). He questioned his orders, and was basically told do it, or we shoot you.
After the war he was captured, tried for murder, and hanged.
Obviously that was a different time, and a different place, but
Re:Guys, take note of this... (Score:4, Interesting)
In reality bail is another method of enforcing an unofficial social caste system. Poor people can't get out to find decent legal counsel. They're stuck with the run-of-the-mill public defender who always advocates a "guilty" or "no contest" plea. The cycle repeats itself indefinitely.
In science it's called chromatography. If you have a jar of mixed large and small pellets you can separate the pellets simply by vibrating the jar for a long enough period of time. In society every accusation leveled against you is the equivalent of one vibration. If you're priveleged or wealthy you shake up. If you're poor or well-framed you shake down.
Tin Foil Hat Brigade (Score:5, Interesting)
Glad I was one of the people that decided to wait and see what it was all about instead of taking it as a sign that our government was overextending itself. Not that they don't, but I'm guessing this isn't one of those times if everyone on staff got felony charges.
Re:Tin Foil Hat Brigade (Score:5, Funny)
The CEO just had hotel reservations, and if he didn't go to Morocco, he'd lose his deposit (the bastards make you leave a credit card number you know).
Re:Tin Foil Hat Brigade (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Tin Foil Hat Brigade (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's say I steal $1000 and put it in my business's client trust account. The cops figure it out and put a freeze on my account. Now the rest of my clients can't get their money. Who's to blame?
Re:Tin Foil Hat Brigade (Score:3, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Tin Foil Hat Brigade (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Tin Foil Hat Brigade (Score:3, Informative)
Sure, the CEO sucks ass and should be dragged back to the country and imprisoned, but the FBI needs to learn to play nice and return the toys they borrow.
Extradition? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Extradition? (Score:3, Interesting)
Yes.
A quick google turns up:
lists of countries with (no) extradition treaties with the US [google.com].
Apparently, that CEO guy is still stupid.
Re:Extradition? (Score:5, Informative)
Apparently, that CEO guy is still stupid.
First, many countries will not extradite their own citizens.
Second, according to this UN extradition page [uncjin.org] and the linked PDF morocc.pdf [uncjin.org], there is only a treaty for narcotics crimes, terrorism, and "organized crime".
I think he's pretty safe.
Re:Extradition? (Score:3, Informative)
That's weird (Score:3, Funny)
look at the bright side.... (Score:5, Funny)
fools (Score:5, Funny)
ABOUT TIME (Score:5, Interesting)
Using the attack logs for "good" (Score:5, Interesting)
RackSpace fought back, but the attackers proved determined and adaptive. In mid-October the simple SYN flood attacks were replaced with an HTTP flood, pulling large image files from WeaKnees.com in overwhelming numbers. At its peak the onslaught allegedly kept the company offline for a full two weeks.
Wouldn't it have made more sense to host these files from a tarpit? If you know you're under attack by zombie hordes that are going to repeatedly ask for a file, why not give it to them s--l--o--w--l--y? Although I suppose that since the attacks were being watched and changed frequently, the attackers probably would simply have switched tactics again.
Anyway, is it possible or practical to use the logs of the http flood to go back to the zombified PC owners and "fix" them? HTTP requires a real connection, which is traceable. Or should that list just be delivered to their ISPs and have the ISPs shut them down until they're virus free?
Re:Using the attack logs for "good" (Score:5, Informative)
I think they've already done something similar for the Code Red attackers. And I've been surprised to see that so many off-shore ISPs are quite willing to cooperate in shutting down malicious hosts. I contacted a Chinese ISP once regarding a phishing scam hosted by one of their customers, and they had the site down in minutes. And China isn't known for being home to the most cooperative netizens.
Re:Using the attack logs for "good" (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Using the attack logs for "good" (Score:3, Informative)
Do this from enough hosts (since we're generally talking machines connected 24/7 you have plenty of time) and the machine with the adaptive system is crippled. Usually just doing it from that machines upstream DNS servers will stop it functioning properly.
Theres software on Linux called portsentry that runs along these lines, theres also perl scripts knocking about to cripple machines running it.
Using things like rate limiting or whit
Typical Corporate Masters (Score:3, Insightful)
Executives pulled this stunt with stockholders quite heavily over the last 5 years. I imagine that he didn't actually pay out $750k but probably put up "collateral" with an appraised worth of $750k. It doesn't mean much if he's been cutting his own salary, stock options, and other investments at several million/year.
Re:Typical Corporate Masters (Score:3, Insightful)
So economically, his best action is to jump bail, go back to Morocco and leave the courts and banks to fight over the house. That's always better than going to jail and having nothing when he's released.
I don't care how bad the tech industry is. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I don't care how bad the tech industry is. (Score:3, Funny)
Packet me in the ass?
Re:I don't care how bad the tech industry is. (Score:3, Interesting)
"Look, we like you, but you're screwed and you're going to die someday. M'kay?"
"American society is all about relative ethics. People who are rich and powerful get away with it."
Spot the poor founding father. You just ended up with a committee of aristocrats rather than a single guy in a hat, but essentially the American dream is a carrot on a stick. Having said that, the American political model is the best one I've seen, it's just suffering from the effec
How times have changed (Score:4, Insightful)
Now maybe slashbots can realise that not every 'hacker' is a hero who's been oppressed by Da Man.
What do you mean dropped? (Score:4, Insightful)
The company's hosting provider, Lexiconn, responded by dropping WeaKnees.com as a client, sending the company to more expensive hosting at RackSpace.com.
Does this make any sense? I can see if your legitimate traffic is exceeding a bandwidth limit that you might get dropped/forced to pay more. But a denial of service attack? Wouldn't most service providers want to help their customer with this kind or problem?
A new name for a new crime... (Score:5, Funny)
Check their SPEWS record (Score:4, Informative)
Definitely stinky-cheese spammers [spews.org] too!
Please tell me (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Please tell me (Score:3, Insightful)
and I understand, they were willing to take the risk of getting busted to get the few bucks, there's nothing strange about that actually. however, when you do that you take the risk of getting busted and sent to jail - that's how things work. it may
Re:Please tell me (Score:3, Interesting)
I was out of work for a few months last year after another round of downsizing. I applied to many restaurants, from fast food through formal dining establishments. Guess how many calls back this PhD holder got... Yah, none. I even resorted to just listing my BS on applications, but it didn't help. I was too
Easy money? (Score:3, Interesting)
- Short company Y.
- Initiate DDOS campaign intended to temporarily cripple company Y and drive its stock price down.
- Cover at the depressed price.
- Profit.
Certainly the SEC would look askance at short-sales before a coordinated DDOS attack, but if a nebulous entity in Eastern Europe is doing the dirty work while a nebulous entity in East-Asia is doing the shorting, it could be extremely difficult to prove a connection.No this isn't a recommendation or some novel idea. In fact, I'm certain that organized crime is well ahead of us in the nefarious schemes department.
Orbit's website needs updating (Score:3, Funny)
I actually was expecting to see some sort of "new interim CEO" announcement, but couldn't find anything like that either.
Cheap attacks... (Score:3, Funny)
perfect sense (Score:3, Interesting)
OrbitSat are script-monkies (Score:5, Informative)
Well at least... (Score:4, Funny)
Log of emp (Score:5, Interesting)
Their mistake (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not being cynical, but realistic. How much you want to bet the FBI didn't really get involved until either Amazon.com or the Department of Homeland Security's resources got peripherally hit?
Every day there are thousands of DDOS attacks going on, usually against small providers or companies that don't have enough political clout to get the authorities to care much. The perps biggest mistake was probably targetting a provider that had some more substantive clients.
Hit Department of Homeland Security by accident. (Score:3, Interesting)
This was a concerted and persistent attack on several sites, they didn't just SYN flood, they pulled masses of HTML data (slashdot attack
However, when has this kind of case *ever* been investigated in the past? We've had any number of similar attacks but the DOJ sat on their lazy ass and did nothing about it. Let's hope this opens their eyes to this type of crime and they start chasing the perpetrators.
Re:the new breaking and entering (Score:5, Insightful)
No, no, no. Anytime something happens in technology, people start clamoring for new laws. Then the special interest groups get involved, and then we end up with a law that is worse than the crime it is intended to prevent. Like, say, I dunno, the DMCA. There were plenty of laws about copyright infringement already. It was already illegal to take a camcorder into movie theaters and make tapes to sell on the street corner. All they had to do was extend that to the Internet. But isntead we have the DMCA.
I'm sure there are laws about interfering with commerce already. Just ammend them to include DDOS attacks. If we start writing new laws, they'll get more and more restrictive and before you know it, hitting Reload on a page more than twice in 5 minutes will land you in jail for cyber terrorism.
Re:the new breaking and entering (Score:3, Interesting)
Saying we need new laws just because a computer is involved is like saying we need separate laws against bank robbers who come in through the front door and bank robbers who come in through an open window.
Re:the new breaking and entering (Score:5, Insightful)
it's already illegal. it's already criminal to disrupt someone others communications knowingly.
you don't need new laws when you could just apply the old laws, stupid criminals think that an old law doesn't apply if they just use a new device in the crime - it's a stupid excuse that does not pull through.
it's not pure simple thief either, but there's been laws in civilised countries against disrupting someone elses telecommunications for quite some time(decades at least if not centuries in one sense or another, you think it was legal to steal mail ever?) and the same laws apply.
the lesson of the story is that if you take money for hitting someone you're just as responsible as the fucker who hired you to do it.